Comcast formally announced a plan today to begin selling smart TVs manufactured by Hisense, and powered by the cable operator's own OS, at retail.
Comcast said that two XClass TV 4K models, in 43- and 50-inch size iterations, will be available at "select" Walmart stores this week, and soon via Walmart.com.
Comcast didn't disclose pricing in its press release, but a Walmart rep sent us an update: Walmart will sell the 43-inch model for $298 and the 50-inch version for $348.
The TV's support Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10 and Dolby Atmos.
Also read: Comcast To Sell Its Own Xfinity Flex-Based, 'XClass TV'-Branded Smart TVs
The XClass TV operating system is underpinned by the company's voice remote technology and the very the same code that powers not only its Xfinity X1 and Flex pay TV interfaces, but also the new and similar Sky Glass smart TV play in Europe.
X1 has integrated Netflix and most other major OTT apps into its foundation over the past five years, so XClass TV will launch with support for most major SVOD, AVOD, FAST and vMVPD services.
Notably, XClass Smart TV purchasers will receive 12 months free of Comcast's own subscription streaming service, Peacock (they'll get the $4.99-a-month "Premium" tier with limited ads).
Controlling the OS that delivers Peacock is big reason why Comcast wants to step out of its cable footprint and compete head-on with Roku, Amazon and Google in the competitive global realm of smart TV.
Also notable: No. 2 cable operator Charter Communications will make a version of its Spectrum TV app for XClass TV.
“Hisense XClass TVs are the next products in a growing portfolio built on our flexible and scalable technology platform, bringing the best innovative products--whether that’s a streaming box or a smart TV--to each territory and customer segment,” said Sam Schwartz, chief business development officer for Comcast, in a statement.
